Police arrested

President Yameen and his wife were travelling to Male from the island where the airport is located on 28 September when their speedboat was hit by the bomb blast.

They had been to the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

Image copyrightReutersImage caption
Police have been sacked following an investigation into the blast on Mr Yameen's speed boat in September

The president was unhurt, but his wife and and a number of others were injured when the device went off under a seat normally - but not in this instance - occupied by Mr Yameen.

Soon after the blast, speculation began to grow that Mr Adeeb was involved, reports say. Under the Maldivian constitution, the vice-president succeeds the president if he dies, is incapacitated or resigns.

Officials described the attack as an assassination attempt and had arrested two senior police officers - a week after the president fired his defence minister.

But on Saturday Mr Adeeb too was arrested at the airport as he returned from an official overseas visit "on suspicion of involvement in the boat blast", police spokesman Ismail Ali told AP.

Home Minister Naseer said he was being held on a prison island.

Mr Adeeb, who has denied any links to the explosion, had only been vice-president for three months.

He came to office when the previous vice-president was sacked by Mr Yameen, also on charges of treason.